Karnataka Polls: Jagadish Shettar sets 2nd deadline for BJP, gets invitation from Congress

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has given a second deadline to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make a decision by today (April 15) over his ticket for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. Earlier, he had given a deadline to the party till Saturday, 11am by saying that if the party doesn't accept his demand, he will proceed with other options. His deadline to the party has come up after he was denied the party's ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections. 

Amid all the political stunts in the poll-bound state of Karnataka, Jagadish Shettar has kept his party guessing about his next move, as he sets a second deadline for the BJP. He has said that denial for his ticket has come up as a surprise and this can cost the party over 20 seats in the elections. He has clearly indicated that the BJP national leadership should reconsider his candidature by today, or else he will make a separate move after this. 

Jagadish Shettar adamant on contesting polls

Shettar has been miffed with the BJP's leadership, as his name was not included in the BJP's list of the candidates for upcoming polls. He was demanding the party's ticket from the Hubli Central constituency. After his exclusion from the candidates list, he had said that he would contest the elections at any cost even if BJP doesn't name him as one of its candidates. 

Meanwhile, Shettar has received an open invitation from the Congress party. Moreover, the Congress has kept the Hubli Central seat vacant and has not announced any name till now. This coincidence has also raised many suppositions. However, the Congress has denied being in touch with Shettar. 

The Congress move to keep the Hubli Central seat vacant has enraged the party's workers, who on Saturday launched a campaign to boycott Jagadish Shettar, saying that his induction will cause damage to the party. They opposed his induction to the Congress. 

It is being said that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP incharge for Karnataka was likely to meet Jagadish Shettar and listen to his demands, but instead Union Minister Prahlad Joshi met him. 

Earlier, 16 prominent BJP leaders resigned from the membership of the party, out of whom, eight have shifted their loyalties towards the Congress and among them 6 have managed to get tickets as well.